Help - sore thighs

Sevenfold

I commute around 45 miles each day three to four times a week with around 2000ft of climbing in total. I also do 100mile Audax events & the occasional sportive at the weekends. No issues before I went on holiday for 7 days of doing not a lot but eating & drinking (it was a holiday after all... ). Now I have come back, I cannot ride two days consecutively due to pain in the back & outside of my thighs. The ride is to work is OK but by the time I come home & get actually home, the pain is quite noticeable & it takes at least 24 hours to settle down. Ibuprofen has minimal impact. I stretch before & after each ride, make sure I am well hydrated & eat well (breakfast at home, recovery shake at work, plenty of protein in the evening meal. I am 52 years old & have ridden around 4500 miles per year for the last few years. My doctor gave no recommendations or diagnosis & I am at a loss on how to resolve this problem. I had a bike fit @ Cadencesport just over two years ago so my saddle height, cleats etc. are spot on I think. I have a 100 mile sportive in 2 weeks time & while rest seems to help, it does not help my training or my pocket as I now have to drive to work! Any suggestions?

Thanks

buckles

wait a bit longer

cyco2

You could go and see a chiropractor or you may have picked up a virus.

ct8282

Gets yourself a foam muscle roller. It'll hurt like hell if you do it right but trust me my friend, that will sort you right out. Enjoy.

alihisgreat

Can you be more specific about the location of the pain?

Is it a general muscular ache, or something more localised eg. ITB syndrome.

Sevenfold

It is very much located in the back/side of the thighs. Left leg is now fine, right leg seems to be the hamstring near the base of the buttocks but it was both legs, back & outside. I now have not ridden since Friday evening & may give it the rest of the week to settle down before a gentle spin at the weekend.
Why would a chiropractor help?

ut_och_cykla

Physiotherapist might help you. You're unlikely to have lost much fitness but perhaps you should recheck yoru bike fit to make sure nothing has changed/loosened etc. Virus is a possibility too as is a damaged back due to unusual activities/inactivity on holiday. Hope you get it sorted.

cyco2

Sevenfold wrote:

Why would a chiropractor help?

Having just recently recovered from an injury that was pain in my arms from nerve damage in my spine for which a physio would not have been much help. Because muscle damage was not the cause of it. So, seeing a chiroparacter who specilise in pain relief would have been my next step. Because the pain I felt was not in the muscles. It was caused by the the nerves in my spine that service the arm muscles.
In time the pain deminished so I hope yours does.

thiscocks

I wouldnt bother with the stretching before riding (just dont go too hard to begin with) and seek a good sports massage, although these are mainly beneficial if you have them fairly regularly for say a couple of months. Foam rollers are good but you can never do it as well as a masseur as they dont stop when it hurts! Reminds me I need to stop putting it off and book another one soon...

dgstewart

+1 for the foam roller suggestion - sounds like it could be ITB.
+10 for the pain you'll subject yourself to using it, but it does work.

That said, first of all I would almost definitely see someone about it other than your GP. Maybe start with a proper sports massage (i.e. one you won't completely enjoy!). A good (and qualified) sports physio/masseuse should be able to diagnose tightness in specific muscles/groups. They should also do a proper pre-treatment assessment to make sure they don't think they will do any further damage in their treatment. If that doesn't help then maybe try a chiropractor.

I suffered from sudden onset of ITB running a 1/2M last Sept, having never experienced it before in my life. Right leg went at 4 miles, soldiered on in pain (on for a PB so refused to stop!), left leg went at 9 miles... Finished in agony (but a good PB helped ), bent down to give my son a hug and couldn't get back up :shock: ! Had to be lifted onto the physio table. Few weeks later, one of my glutes seized up on the turbo. After that I've had a sports massage about once a month and use my foam roller a few times a week (well I try anyway ).

zardoz

thiscocks wrote:

I wouldnt bother with the stretching before riding

Stretching before riding is important. Most neglect it but it is an essential way to reduce the possibility of strain injuries. Most of us do not do enough stretching full stop either before or after. Stretching becomes even more important once you start to get niggles.

dgstewart

You shouldn't stretch before you start (i.e. on cold muscles) as there is a higher risk of muscle damage. If you want to stretch before you get going "properly" then by all means, but a gradual warm up is essential first, then some light stretching.

"Proper" stretching, designed to maintain range of movement and flexibility, should be done after exercise, or as a separate session (with warm-up).

Herbsman

zardoz wrote:

thiscocks wrote:

I wouldnt bother with the stretching before riding

Stretching before riding is important.

Nope. Try again